Sustainable Tips to Save Money
Life is expensive. Everywhere we turn, people want money for this, that, and something else, and that often leaves us with less in the bank at the end of the month than we might like. It can be frustrating, but there are some relatively simple things (aka – sustainable tips) you can do that will help you save money. We will be talking about some of the best ways to become a little more frugal, so you can keep more money where it belongs—in your pocket!
Clothing for You and Your Family
Everyone wants to save money, but you don’t want to dress like a pauper. Don’t worry. You can still be fashionable and find some ways to save. Let’s look at a few tips and tricks that could help because sustainable living can definitely help you save money!
First, when you are buying clothing, you will want to consider its overall versatility. We’ve found that a capsule wardrobe is a good option. This simply means that you have a small wardrobe filled with pieces that are easy to mix and match to create different styles. You want a wardrobe with flexibility and that has comfortable clothing that can be used for multiple occasions. What you don’t want to do is buy something new for each event or outing you attend.
Try to pare down the number of clothes you are buying and learn to sew and repair your own clothes to help them last longer. Keep in mind that there is nothing wrong with buying clothing and accessories from the thrift store either, as it could help you save a lot of money. This is particularly true when it comes to the clothes that you are going to use around the house and farm. They don’t need to be pretty, just functional.
Make Some $$ on Your Old Clothing
Make some money off of your old clothing, as long as it is still in good condition. You might opt to sell clothing on consignment through online shops like Plato’s Closet or Poshmark, for example. You could sell through other sites, or even with a garage sale, too, of course.
The point is that you don’t have to spend a fortune on your clothing, and you don’t need to have a closet that is bursting with new clothes. Consider how much money you are spending on clothing currently and make some changes.
Buy Quality When You Have to Buy
If you are buying items for the house, the farm, your family, yourself, etc., you might think that you can save money by choosing the cheapest options possible. While this might save you some cash this month, what happens next month or the month after when the thing breaks down or falls apart? You are right back at square one and will have to buy new again. This ends up costing a lot more than if you had bought a higher-quality product built to last in the first place.
Learn to Fix Things – Valuable Sustainable Tip to Save Money
The past several generations have been wasteful if we’re being honest. Rather than learning how to make repairs to items we have around the house, whether it is clothes, a toaster, a mower, etc., we tend to throw things away and buy new ones. People who do this are not only causing more harm to the planet, but they are also wasting quite a bit of money.
Sometimes, it is better to fix things than to buy new ones. If you don’t know how to fix something, take it to someone who does. This will still generally be a lot cheaper than buying new. My husband Olin uses YouTube as a resource for fixing appliances, cars, farm equipment, and anything that is expensive to fix! I have no idea how many thousands of dollars he has saved our family budget by fixing something rather than calling a repairman.
Dry Your Clothes Outside
We get a substantial amount of sun here through most of the year, so why not make the most use out of it? Are you still drying your clothes in the clothes dryer? Consider just how much money you are wasting each month on electricity costs. Instead, you can get a clothesline or a drying rack for your clothes.
Water Filters
Stop buying bottled water and start using water filters. Get some nice reusable bottles for the household and use filtered water. This will save you money on bottled water, and it will reduce the amount of waste that is going into the environment.
Grow Your Own Food – #1 Sustainable Living Tip to Save Money
Of course, you probably already know this and do it to some extent. The more you get into farming, even if you have just a small amount of land, or even plants grown indoors, you can save some money. Everything you can grow and eat means you will be spending less in the grocery store. It’s also nice to have it all right there and available, so you don’t have to waste gas going to the grocery store.
Not only should you grow your own food, but you should also learn how to can your food to make it last longer, so you can eat healthy food all winter long. Consider getting some chickens, too, which can provide you with eggs all year round.
Cheaper Meat Options
There are cheaper ways to get meat, too. For example, you and a neighbor could go in together on a hog or a cow and have it butchered for you when it is ready. This is typically quite a bit more cost-effective than buying meat from the grocery store. It can be healthier, too.
You could also supplement your meat with hunting and fishing. A deer, a turkey, and other game in the freezer can last a good long time, for example.
Learn More About Saving and Sustainability
These are just some of the ways you can be more sustainable. If you like these ideas, and you want to find out more ways to become more sustainable and save money, while being better to the planet, keep coming back to our blog. Not only should you read the blog, but you should also consider attending our 7th Annual Sustainable Farm Conference, which will be held on Saturday, October 2. You can learn more about various ways you can save money and retire debt-free while building a more sustainable life.
